Summary of the Week and a Reflection (23rd February)

MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS (John 19:25-27)

The last aspect we looked at in Mary in the Gospel of John is ‘Mary at the foot of the Cross’. John is the only evangelist to record the presence of Mary, the mother of Jesus, at the foot of the Cross of his Son. Mary’s standing at the foot of the cross connotes compassion and intimate sharing of the suffering of him who for our salvation became a curse, as St. Paul tells us (Gal 3:13). Mary suffered just like any mother seeing her son treated but she suffered much more because she knew who her son was, the eternal Word God from God. Essential content of this passage is the spiritual, universal motherhood of Mary. On Calvary, at the foot of the Cross, Mary’s divine motherhood, with the pangs of a most painful childbirth, is shown to extend to all brothers and sisters of Christ “the firstborn” (Rom 8:29). The entrustment of the disciple to Mary and Mary to the beloved disciple was a part of the plan of redemption; it was the institution of the spiritual maternity of Mary towards every disciple of Christ. Church is also brought forth from the Cross with the life-giving water (Baptism) and blood (Eucharist). Thus the spiritual motherhood of Mary becomes the image and the form of motherhood of the church.

MARY IN THE APOCALYPSE (She is the “Ark of the covenant” and the glorified “woman” that appeared in heaven)

1.       The Ark of the Covenant (Rev 11:19)

The Ark was the sign of the presence of God in the midst of the people (1 Chr 15:3-4). Inside, his Word was kept, inscribed on the two tablets of the Law (Deut 9:15). Allegorically Mary is the new Ark of the new covenant because in her womb the Son of God, the Word made flesh, dwelt for nine months.

2.       The Woman Clothed with the Sun (Revelation 12)

Here we have series of signs, allegorical-symbolic visions, concerning the conflict between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan structured via “concentric circles”. The first circle, the woman with child and the dragon ready to devour the son to whom the woman is about to give birth, the son who is rapt up to heaven. Second circle is the victorious combat of Michael and of his angels against the dragon, who is cast down to earth. The third circle, the dragon pursues the woman, who however flees to a secure place; thereafter the dragon vents his anger on the offspring of the woman (vv. 13-18). The red dragon is identified as the Devil and Satan, who leads astray the world. Identification of the woman clothed with the Sun is not so clear but today the basic interpretations of the “woman” of Revelation 12 are:  Mary and the Church and neither should be excluded in interpretation of the mysterious symbol. She recapitulates and expresses the whole reality of divine motherhood and of the ecclesial motherhood. Our Lady is to be ascribed a double child birth: one natural and Virginal without pain she begot the Son of God; the other spiritual, by means of which in Calvary, uniting her sufferings to those of the Redeemer she begot mystical Body of Christ.

MARIAN HERITAGE OF THE EARLIER CHURCH

Fathers reflecting on the mystery of redemption discovered that Mary was near the centerpiece of the new creation. They intuitively understood and taught about her role as “new and second Eve”.  Ignatius of Antioch, Justin of Samaria and Irenaeus of Lyons, discovered importance of Mary for faith in Christ in both “Christotypical and Soteriological reflection”. Their insight expressed through the Eve-Mary parallel derived from Adam-Christ parallel.

1. Ignatius of Antioch, is concerned for the reality of Jesus’  human nature thus he affirms that Christ our Lord is Son of God and Son of Mary thus his Mariology is framed in a Christological perspective.

2. Justin the Martyr, the first to discover the parallel between Mary and Eve and this lays foundation in understanding Mary’s place and role in the life of believers. On his focus on person of Christ he attaches a role of cooperation on the part of the Virgin Mary through her “yes” and he added the Soteriological dimension of the incarnation and Mary’s role within it as Virgin-mother. Thus Justin saw Mary in the plan of God as the virgin who gave birth to the messiah.

3. Irenaeus of Lyons, He advanced reflections on the Eve-Mary parallel and introduced the ecclesial-typical thoughts. Both Christ and Mary untie the knot that Adam and Eve had made. Mary, cooperating with Christ as the cause of human salvation by her obedience plays a unique role. Thus ‘Eve’ symbol of lack of faith and disobedience she is the cause of death while ‘Mary’ symbol of faith, obedience and life she is the cause of our salvation. Mary is now the Spiritual mother and advocate of the new creation and an image of the Church.